The Dream Seller
by Ceillean
Summary: Kyp and Jaina have a case to solve. Although, as usual, it doesn't quite work out as planned.
1. Chapter 1

The days got colder around this time of year. Rain poured down from a cloudy sky, turning into thick fog before the cool drops of water even hit the ground. Jaina stood alone in the Jedi Council Chamber, her arms crossed in front of her chest as she gazed through one of many windows adorning the walls around the oval shaped room. She shivered at the thought of having to step outside into the cold the way she was dressed.

But going into the renowned Electro club _N8_ as a Jedi bordered on definite insanity. She had to look her part as an interested party in wanting more information on a drug called _Push_. Not only did it heighten the average sentient senses, it played havoc with dormant areas of the brain, bringing to life powers that weren't controllable. Local Enforcement had already seen to it that a few of the dealers were locked up but the Boss of the Operation – a human male calling himself Vishous – was still lost to them and according to viable sources, Vishous was one hell of a guy to have as an enemy. It seemed the man had perfected his use of _Push_ and the last undercover agents to go after him had returned in small boxes scattered across the city.

So Enforcement had asked the Jedi for help.

Jaina felt goosebumps spreading along her bare arms and legs. The short black skirt she wore might have easily been painted on her skin; it barely covered her butt and she kept pulling at the skimpy piece of clothing, hoping to cover up just a few more centimeters of flesh. The matching halter top looked more like a bra to her and when Mara had brought the clothes just an hour earlier, Jaina had laughed in her face, saying she wouldn't be caught dead wearing underwear in public. But her aunt was a perfectionist when it came to persuasion. Jaina had even conceded in wearing the most hideous black shoes she'd ever laid eyes on. She could hardly stand on the thin high heels, having to steady herself against the wall – the thought of actually walking on them was a frightening one.

She sighed as she rubbed her brow. This was definitely one of her least favorite missions. And Master Skywalker had paired her up with Kyp. Knowing the older man's affinity for dry humor and snide remarks… yeah, this would really be a night to remember, wouldn't it?

The entrance to the Council Chamber swished aside and before Jaina managed to turn around to stare vibrodaggers at an intruder – she didn't want too many people seeing her in her current state of undress – she heard a grunt followed by a string of curses.

Raising her brows, Jaina trained her dark eyes on the visitor and almost choked. It was Kyp but she hardly recognized him. She bit the inside of her cheek – hard – in hopes of not bursting out laughing.

"Not. A. Single. Word." He jabbed a finger in her direction, "I'm warning you."

Now if Jaina had thought that she was having a bad dress-up day, Kyp's was blown out of nuclear proportion. She cocked her head to the side, as she looked him over from head to toe. The first thing she noticed was the fact that he had cut his hair. The once beautiful and thick wavy dark tresses had been replaced by a short, spiked up blue hair-do, the tips frosted snow white. His eyes were an unnatural electric blue color and it didn't suit him at all but matched his hair. Jaina held a hand in front of her mouth to hide a grin when she took in every detail of his clothes. His shirt – or the lack thereof – was made of a see-through material, resembling a black net of sorts. She could see his athletically built upper body and she felt her cheeks warm at the sight. A black tattoo of a vine trailed along his pecs down towards a six-pack of abs and below the waistline of a very, _very_ tight pair of black leathers. His boots hugged his calves and Jaina remembered someone once calling them "shavit-kickers" – Silver, dagger-shaped buckles, ran along the front.

Jaina bit down harder. This was a sight she would never forget and she was honest with herself – as awkward as this situation was, she actually liked him in the clothes he had been forced into.

"Wow Kyp."

"I said not a word."

"I was going to say that you look good."

Kyp snorted, "Yeah right. Whatever."

Jaina drew in a breath and used the Force to keep herself steady as she pushed away from the wall. She'd always been a head shorter than Kyp but now with her newest pair of shoes, she matched him in height. She smiled brightly as she approached him, "Aren't we a beautiful couple?"

She didn't miss the stare the older man was giving her – she turned around for him, to give him a much better view of her bare back and very long legs. "Like what you see?"

Kyp opened his mouth to answer – no doubt, a remark Jaina didn't want to hear – as the doors to the Council Chamber parted to admit Mara Jade Skywalker. The woman grinned as she saw her two victims together in one room, then started to laugh at the perturbed looks the both of them were giving her.

"Look at you!" Mara about squealed, "We should take a holopic, you know, just for the record?" She winked at them. Kyp narrowed his eyes.

"Do we have a go?" He all but snarled.

"Of course you do. Now that you're dressed. And by the way, Durron." Her smile widened as she gave him a once over, "My, my, my. Hadn't realized that you were _this_ _packed_." She wriggled her eyebrows in a very Mara Jade kind of way and stepped aside as Kyp bounded past her.

"Hurry up, Jaina!" He growled over his shoulder, not even the least bit concerned that Jaina could hardly walk.

From the outside, the club looked shabby. The building was located in the nether districts of Coruscant, an area that made the Jungle of Minos look like a land of plenty. Aggressive sounding electro music reached Kyp's ears, filtering through a closed set of meter high double doors. Two eerily looking individuals stood at each side, their hands clasped behind their backs. Both of them wore black shades and Kyp wondered how they could even see in the darkness surrounding them.

Jaina sighed and raked a hand through her dark hair, "Think they'll let us in?"

Kyp gave her a mock stare, raising an eyebrow, "Am I a powerful Jedi Master?" He snorted and turned his back on her, making his way to the entrance of _N8_. He heard Jaina walking behind him, her high heels clicking away on the dirty ground.

As the two of them approached the bouncers, Kyp noticed their shoulders tensed up. Smiling brightly, Kyp planted the Force suggestion of letting them pass in both their minds. Without any interruption, Jaina and Kyp slipped through and almost staggered back at the wall of smoke and an unidentifiable stench that lay before them.

"Now what?" Jaina called above the ruckus, scanning the interior with her eyes. The place was packed. Half-naked bodies gyrated on the dance floor, some holding colorful lights in their hands as they moved with the beat of the music. A large group of people tangled in front of an oval shaped bar, a barely clothed human female filling up drinks and using her best assets to sell.

"Get into your role, sweetheart. You reek of "I-Don't-Belong-Here." He winked at her as he made his way down a small flight of stairs. He made sure his expression was impassive but still fierce enough to let the single females (or not) know that he wasn't for the taking. Already he felt stares at his back, felt their neediness course through him – these were the times he disliked his empathy abilities. Grunting, he closed his eyes for a second and kept the ability under tight control.

Jaina caught up with him and grabbed his hand, pulling him to a stop. She crept closer, placing her fingers on his chest while leaning forward to whisper in his ear, "The guy sitting at the bar? He's the one from the pictures."

Kyp pulled Jaina closer, one hand gently gripping her hip, "Are you sure?"

"Positive. His name's Menelaeous. He'll take us to see Vishous."

"He won't give in easily, you know that." He took a deep breath, a slight frown on his forehead.

"I thought you were the powerful Jedi Master?" Jaina said sweetly, raising both her arms around his neck, "Make him do your bidding."

Arching a brow, Kyp pulled back and gave Jaina a tiny push, "Concentrate on the mission, Jaina." He snapped, inclining his head towards a small, heavy-set man sitting hunched at the bar. Menelaeous was holding a grimy coat in both his thick hands and even from a distance Kyp knew the man was hiding a weapon underneath. Dark brown hair hung to his broad shoulders, colored beads braided into a few strands.

Grabbing Jaina's hand, Kyp pushed himself through the dancing crowd. An overzealous female human came close enough to grind her hips in Kyp's direction and it was all Kyp could do to not push her away forcefully. Instead, he pulled Jaina forward in a hug, narrowing his eyes at the unwanted company, letting her know that he wasn't interested. She left with a wink and blew him a kiss before she ventured further to her next prey.

The two of them pushed on until Kyp and Jaina flanked Menelaeous at the bar. Jaina plopped down on the bar stool, swinging one leg over the other – very lady like. She smiled sweetly while ordering a strong glass of whisky. Kyp gave her an arched stare but otherwise he held his peace.

"What do you want?" Menelaeous snapped without raising his eyes to the newcomers.

"Information." Kyp answered, leaning his hip against the bar. He stared at the crowd around them while he talked, taking in all the details he could. There were three escape vectors from their current position, not counting the main entrance due to the dance floor. Kyp doubted the man would want unneeded attention.

"You've come to the wrong place. Get going." Menelaeous threw his head back and gulped down the rest of the green liquid in his glass. He turned on the stool, wanting to get to his feet but Kyp kept him down with a single gesture of his hand.

"I said, we need information."

The man looked up, his face contorted into a mask of anger, "You filthy Jedi scumbag. Let me go."

Kyp sighed and smiled, "Who're you working for?"

"I won't tell you nothing." Kyp saw the man's hand twitch underneath his coat. Definitely a weapon.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you." He inclined his head to the man's lap, "I'll have you on the floor in a second if you do. And then things will get ugly."

"I'm not afraid of you."

Kyp pursed his lips and his smile grew into a wide and wicked grin, "You really should be. Because –" He leaned forward, his words very low and barely audible over the music, "I'm not like my fellow Jedi. I do what I want, when I want."

Jaina laughed, "You should listen to him. He doesn't like to play nice."

The man swallowed but still he didn't speak. Kyp was growing tired of his games – he got up from the barstool and took a step closer to the man, "Fine. Have it your way. I'll take what I need to know."

"Wait!" The man shrieked, clearly afraid that he was going to die if he didn't do as told, "Maybe I do know something."

"Then talk."

"You're here about _Push_, aren't you?"

Kyp nodded.

"I know where to find Vishous."

"We already gathered as much." Jaina drawled in a boring tone, holding her glass in one hand while trailing a well-manicured finger around its rim.

"Take us to him." Kyp ordered.

"I can't. He'll kill me if I do."

Kyp was getting increasingly annoyed with the little man, "Then give me his location."

"Give me protection in return."

He pretended to think it over for a minute, making the short man squirm under his penetrating gaze. "Alright. You come with us, you shut up until I ask you a question. Understood?"

Menelaeous nodded, "Get me out of here." He said in a low voice, "And then head to _The Eye_. That's Vishous' place."

Menelaeous walked between Kyp and Jaina as they headed back outside. The fresh air was soothing to his senses as they stepped into the darkened streets. He inhaled a breath and let it out on a sigh.

"The speeder's parked around the corner, out of sight." Jaina said but they didn't even make it that far. Out of nowhere, a blaster shot rang out, hitting Menelaeous straight in the chest. He toppled over, smoking, dead before he hit the ground.


	2. Chapter 2

"Seems someone knew where to find you." A tall, stocky Enforcement agent knelt beside the body, his mechanical eyes zooming in on the wound in Menelaeous chest. It was rather disconcerting, Kyp thought, watching as the human male looked over the body as if it were the most interesting thing he'd ever seen in his entire, dull life.

"Really?" Kyp asked in mock fascination. "I'd never have guessed." His voice was thick with sarcasm. The agent, whose small nametag read Sontebren, stood and straightened to his full height, staring at the Jedi Master with open contempt. Kyp had met enough men like this one to take it in stride – he actually smiled when Sontebren stepped forward, only inches away from Kyp's face. The man wanted a fight? Well, fine. Kyp was definitely up for it.

The only thing bugging him was the fact that the man's eyes – one was blue, the other a dark green – swirled around in their sockets. He'd seen many things in his life but he'd always held an aversion for fake eyes – they showed him only coldness, emptiness, as if the person had no soul.

"You got a problem?" Sontebren asked with arched brows.

Kyp sighed while he pursed his lips. "Yeah, I got a problem. I need you to hurry the hell up so we can solve this case."

Sontebren shook his head, stuffing his hands into his pockets. He stood level in height with Kyp, glaring at the other man and not even trying to hide his dislike. "You stuck up, sithing piece of shavit. Who the _hell_ do you think you are?"

Kyp shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe the guy _you_ called for help because you can't handle the situation?" He let out a little laugh. "In my book that means failing. You want me to spell it out for you?"

He watched as Sontebren worked his jaw. Kyp just waited for a punch or a stupid comeback remark but amazingly, Sontebren took a step back. Seemed he did have brains after all.

"According to the scans, the energy signature matches the power cell from E-17d Sniper rifle."

Kyp frowned at the new info. "They were waiting, whoever they are."

"Seems so. Might actually still be here enjoying the show." Sontebren lifted his head and scanned the area, grunting when he realized it would be of no use. They were surrounded by tall buildings, old warehouses and hundreds, if not thousands of empty speeders parked within an open garage. They would have to use a droid to triangulate the shot, hopefully finding evidence of the shooter. But Sontebren wasn't very confident. Whoever had done this knew what they were doing.

"We've found something!"

Kyp glanced over to Jaina, who stood waving at him like a frantic woman. Sontebren followed Kyp towards her and one of Sontebren's colleagues. A short, athletic young woman crouched on the ground and picked up a silver coin. She held it between a gloved forefinger and thumb, holding it up to get a better look at it. "You know what this is?" She asked in a soft voice, handing the coin to Sontebren and straightening up.

"Never seen it before." He cleared his throat, turning halfway to look at Kyp. "But maybe Pus-bag over here knows what it is?"

A tic started in Kyp's jaw. Pus-bag was a derogatory form for a Hutt. If there was a species in the galaxy Kyp had no patience for, it was a Hutt and he wouldn't stand for being named as one.

"Uh-oh." Jaina whispered, hurrying to stand at Kyp's side while snatching the coin from Sontebren's hand. "Are you crazy?" She snarled at him.

Sontebren shrugged, rubbing at his brow. "All in good fun, of course."

Yeah – and the Empire loved aliens.

Kyp snatched the coin from Jaina's hand, his jaw still working but he did his best to ignore Sontebren's jibe. After this case was closed, Kyp wouldn't have to work with him anymore so he calmed himself, knowing that it would get him nowhere to cold cock Sontebren. Well, personal satisfaction – yes. But a long and boring discussion with Luke – so no.

Taking a good look at the coin, Kyp narrowed his eyes at the inscription along the inside. Written in basic aurebesh with a few numbers in between. "An ocean in which dreams are reflected…" he read aloud, his forehead creased into a frown. "Any guess what it could mean?"

Jaina shrugged. "Sounds like a riddle."

"And we love riddles, don't we?" He turned the coin around and stopped as he saw a tiny symbol in the middle. Then he smiled and handed Jaina the coin. "Look at this."

Jaina's eyes twinkled in the dark and underneath artificial lamp light, her cheeks glowed a pretty light red. "It's an eye."

"Remember what Menelaeous said? Looks like our killer is working for this Vishous character."

Jaina nodded, a sudden seriousness overshadowing her face. "And I'm guessing that person is also working for Enforcement. How else would they have known to find us here?"

"Maybe they weren't here for us. Only to get at Menelaeous."

Jaina scoffed. "Do you honestly believe that?"

Kyp took the coin from her outstretched palm and sighed. If he wanted to and thought really, really hard about it, he could believe a whole lot – like Han only pretending to be a smuggler when he was younger (big, enormous maybe), or Moruth Doole actually being a nice guy (well, maybe not so much), or Admiral Daala becoming one of the good guys (when hell froze over and the devil himself kicked the bucket) – but this didn't seem like one of those times and he knew it.

"No." He said in a low voice. "Someone sold us out."

Mara tapped her lower lip with her index finger while she walked up and down her living quarters. Luke was on a mission, having taken young Ben along for the ride and having left Mara in charge with the case concerning the drug _Push_.

She'd gotten word from Kyp and Jaina that their information source had been shot down – executed almost – in the middle of the streets, which made Mara believe that they were a) dealing with pros and b) dealing with someone who was slowly getting edgy.

And getting edgy meant getting sloppy.

Besides the fact that Menelaeous had died, two more cases of _Push_ misuse had arose in the past three hours alone and the numbers of deaths were increasing day after day. The local news channel had already broadcast the story of a young woman who had been found mangled in a dark alleyway. Of course, since _Push_ granted the user comparatively strong mental use, the media thought it was a Force user. No fingerprints, no weapons, no nothing – only a young woman with scratches all over her arms and hands and according to the coroner, she'd been strangled.

Strangled by usage of the mind alone. How convenient.

Mara sighed and raked a hand through her long red hair. She hated being stuck inside while Kyp and Jaina were out there enjoying all the fun. She needed to stay put and moderate – yippie.

Kyp and Jaina were now on the way to _The Eye_, hoping to find more answers concerning the murder of their informant and who had the guts to betray Enforcement and the Jedi in one move. Whoever it was had to be seven kinds of stupid.

Mara leaned against the wall and stared out towards the busy city. No matter where she looked, something was going on – she could feel it. Murders, rapes, breaking-and-entering, robbery, fights – anything she could think of was happening down there at that very minute. The downside of a planet with one huge, big city. And with an Enforcement agency who had no clue what the hell it was they were doing. This wasn't big enough to include the CSF – of course not. It was, after all, only a drug that could turn a maniac into an even bigger, telekinetic maniac – now why would that be reason to worry?

She pushed away from the window and settled back behind her desk. She still had a few reports yelling at her to be reviewed.

"Wow. I'm impressed." Jaina smiled up at the building, watching as a transparent tube lift ascended to the top. The base of various kinds of music melted into a slab of noise in front of the entrance. From the outside the club looked to be the Hot Spot for Coruscant's younger inhabitants. Four bouncers stood before the doors, dressed in impeccable black suits with little microphones pinned to the front. Each had an earpiece to listen in on disturbances going on inside the club – Kyp actually held sympathy for the person daring to be idiot enough to start a fight in a place like this.

"Look." Jaina inclined her head towards a symbol above the double doors. The eye that was branded into the coin and around it the same words "An ocean in which dreams are reflected."

"You know – for this hotshot Vishous guy, that riddle is highly un-manlike."

Jaina laughed and shook her head. "It's just a riddle."

"Yeah, it sounds girly."

They watched as a group of scantily dressed teens exited the club, two girls and a young man, holding on to each other as if they were anything but sober. One of the girls was so pale, Kyp thought she would fall over right there but she held on to her friend as if her life depended on it. The young man, on the other hand, looked very well. His Force signature was altered, though. Kyp could feel it in his very bones that this little boy – he couldn't have been older than eighteen – had consumed _Push_.

When they passed Kyp and Jaina, the boy glanced over his shoulder and smiled in their direction, as if he knew what Kyp was thinking. It was a sobering thought because Kyp couldn't feel him probing his mind. What if _Push_ enabled certain individuals to spy on Force users? This drug could turn out to be one hell of a weapon concerning the Jedi.

"Come on." Kyp breathed. "Let's get this over with."

Stepping forward towards the entrance, the bounces stared at them with raised eyebrows. Kyp knew they were dressed for the occasion and they wouldn't be able to guess at their real age but still something nagged at them. Kyp stopped and grabbed Jaina's arm, spinning her around as if to kiss her. Instead he lowered his head. "Block all your thoughts the best you can. I can feel that they're on the drug and I think they can read us." He whispered.

"Are you sure?"

"No but I don't want to chance it."

He pulled away from her and grabbed her hand. Surprisingly, the bouncers let them pass without a word but Kyp could feel their looks on their backs, the questioning gazes. And when he reached out to the Force to probe their minds all he got was static. A blankness that completely cut him off to their minds – definitely on the drug.

The inside was crowded with all sorts of beings mingling in a huge, sweaty mass of bodies. Jaina stayed close by Kyp, both of them already earning curious glances. Kyp ignored them while Jaina waved at a young man who blushed a crimson red.

"That is so adorable." She whispered towards Kyp. He bent down to hear her better over the music, blaring through speakers hanging in each corner of the first room. "Still, I feel old around these kids."

Kyp frowned at her. "You're not much older than they are."

"Still."

Shaking his head, he led her through the maze of dancers into one of the back rooms – dimly lit only by a few wall sconces, the music was dampened to an almost normal level (a level that kept your ears in one piece) and the dance floor was almost empty. A few black clad people sat around couches and comfortable looking chairs around the area, staring at Jaina and Kyp as if they were intruders entering a private show.

Kyp reached out with the Force and again he was greeted by a black wall of static. It was getting increasingly annoying, especially since he couldn't be sure if these people could read him or not.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Jaina whispered and Kyp was inclined to agree.

"Come on. Let's take a look around the place and get out."

Jaina nodded and so they left the dark atmosphere room and headed towards the next, which showed to be a bit livelier. The dance floor was packed and no one paid attention to them. Kyp noticed a flight of stairs leading to an area surrounded by a balcony with a holographic sign switching from advertisement of alcoholic beverages to a sign saying "No Admittance".

A nagging feeling at the back of his mind told Kyp that what they were looking for was up those stairs. Taking Jaina by the hand, he ignored the sign and together they hurried up the steps. From the balcony, the people down below looked like cattle almost. A group of gullible young people out for a few hours of fun – a perfect way to exploit them by selling them drugs, perhaps even altering their state of mind of mind to do so. No one had an idea what exactly Push did to certain people, only that it gave them abilities for a period of time.

"This way." Jaina said, inclining her head towards a single door. She touched the control panel with the tips of her fingers and the door slid aside silently. When it closed behind them, the music was completely blocked out, leaving only an eerie silence and an annoying ringing in their ears.

"This is way too easy." Kyp commented in a low tone as they walked down a narrow corridor.

The lights around them cut off suddenly, bathing them in darkness.

"Welcome." A voice boomed from all at once, a deep, supposedly dangerous sounding voice. Kyp sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Wait, let me guess. You're the bad guy, right?"

They heard a deep chuckle before the voice replied. "Witty, aren't you?"

"I take pride in it. Who are you?"

"You'll find out soon enough." The voice laughed again. So clichéd, just like in the cheap holo-movies Kyp was forced to indulge with Han every-so-often. "But first, I think it's time for a little nap."

A hissing sound emanated from all around them and the air suddenly smelled sweet and tasted thick. There was no time to cover their faces or use the Force to clear their lungs. Blackness descended upon them in seconds.

Oh, the sweetness of sleep! Or unconsciousness, in this case.

Delving into the lands of colorful and unusual dreams. It was an adventure in itself. Although some dreams had a cringing, _face-contorting-in-fear_ factor – before Kyp could fully grasp the waking world, his mind dealt with the last few fabrics of the dream he never wanted to have to deal with again.

There was a Hutt. With purple skin, glowing like his lightsaber. Black spots covered its body and each spot had a face of its own and they were laughing at him. All of them. One of those faces even beckoned him forward for a kiss.

Kyp groaned and rolled around, frowning as he felt something odd at his back. It took him a moment to realize his hands were bound together and his long body was twisted in an uncomfortable position, making his fists dig into his spine.

Well, this wouldn't do at all.

He took a few deep breaths before he finally managed to concentrate just enough to call the Force to him. It was a like a wake-up call, as if someone had splashed ice cold water into his face – he was wide awake suddenly, feeling replenished and as good as new. He directed the Force towards the binds around his wrists and let out a satisfied breath when the cord loosened and dropped to the ground.

And that's when he took the time to look around. He didn't recognize much besides a small room without furniture. A single light dangled from the ceiling, casting shadows against the walls. Otherwise, the room was black. Completely black, which meant no windows. No obvious escape vector.

"Oh, goodie."

Kyp got up to his feet, cursing inwardly at a sharp pain in his knee. Obviously, he was getting to old for this kind of thing. Whatever happened to the smart Jedi Masters with poetic words to lead the young generation? The History writers and Jedi who cleaned up the archives?

Yeah, the boring Jedi.

"Stop complaining." He muttered under his breath as he stepped forward and reached out to trail his fingers along the cool material of the wall. It felt like transparasteel, no obvious lines or cracks – nothing to suggest a door.

"I see you're awake."

Kyp rolled his eyes and groaned at the disembodied voice. "Not you again. Can't you just go away and leave me alone to rot in this little cage of yours?"

"You do think you're funny, don't you?"

"Not at all. There's nothing to think about. I _know_ I'm funny."

The voice laughed again, a throaty laugh that was supposed to make people fear him, Kyp surmised. All it made Kyp do was chuckle. "Wow. You've been watching too many B-movies, haven't you? Haven't you learned that the bad guy always loses? My personal favorite would be death by impalement."

"What if I'm not the bad guy?"

"Will you stop whining and finally get on with it?"

There was a slight pause while Kyp kept walking around the room, his palm moving along the walls hoping for an exit.

"You should be afraid."

Those few words made Kyp straighten and clear his throat. He fought very, very hard _not_ to laugh.

"What?" he croaked.

"I'm not one to be played with."

Kyp gave an exaggerated nod. "Ah, yes. Threatening me now, are you?" He waited for a response but when a few seconds passed in silence, Kyp sighed and shook his head. "Fine. You win. I'm afraid! See me quiver and shiver?"

He twitched his arms and hands a little then went back to examining the walls. Who'd this guy think he was anyway? Kyp wasn't intimidated by _anyone_ and this faceless, no-name kriffer thought he could scare him? He snorted at the audacity.

"Did you know that _Push_ allows me to look into your mind?"

Aw – crap.

Kyp straightened and glowered in the darkness. "Your point being?" He couldn't even begin to count up how disconcerting it felt having to talk to air. Maybe the molecules around him actually cared for the words being spoken.

"I know who you are."

Kyp arched a brow. "Do you now? Somehow I doubt that."

The disembodied voice laughed again – and that laugh was getting increasingly annoying. "As much as I would like to ascertain that you are wrong, I must admit your mind is very intriguing. The best men we have couldn't even scratch the surface."

"Woohoo for me then." He turned back to the wall and let a slight smile play across his face as his fingers felt the tiniest of cracks. He trailed along it until he could make out an outline of a door. Now all he needed was to find the controls – which were mostly likely hidden or controlled by the freak-voice annoying the hell out of him.

"But your friend, on the other hand…" His voice trailed off and he chuckled. Kyp stiffened. "Once she's out, all her blocks seem to crack. Did you know that your friend is a Jedi Knight?"

Not good. Not good. NOT GOOD.

"Really?"

"Which begs the question if you are, too. I think you are, or else you wouldn't have gotten out of those binds so quickly. It would also explain why we cannot see into your mind. Not even now."

Kyp grimaced. The only thing he felt was someone watching him but there was nothing to tell him someone was trying to poke around in his brain. A situation he'd never been in before – he could always rely on the Force but this new drug was pulling everything out of perspective. Another little thing on his _I-kriffing-hate-my-job_ list.

"There's nothing to see in there anyway. Just a chaotic jumble of – well, chaos I guess."

There went that laugh again. Kyp swore that should he come across the man holding him against his will – which was unheard of in the first place – he'd try and disconnect the vocal cords. No one needed to endure a laugh like that for longer than ten seconds.

"Your little friend is just waking up. Would you care to see what fun she'll be having?"

"Do I have a choice?" Kyp asked darkly, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

A misty field appeared before him, coalescing into a light blue hologram screen. It looked like someone had poured a bucket of dust from the ceiling. The screen showed an equal room to the one Kyp was in, only he saw Jaina sitting on the floor. She seemed alright and he couldn't feel alarm from her – in fact, he couldn't feel anything at all.

She tugged at her arm and that's when he saw that there were cuffs around her wrist. He stepped closer and the picture zoomed back to show him a young man laying next to her – he grimaced. They were _cuffed_ together.

"Have you ever seen a _Push_ addict on withdrawal?" the voice asked with a hint of underlying humor. "They are ferocious. Very…medieval. Primordial almost. You must understand, _Push_ is like nourishment to them and once taken away, they will do anything in their power to gain more." There was a short pause before he continued. "Since your pretty lady friend is a Jedi, I do believe she could take care of him on her own. But I've been doing research and the Jedi have a great weakness which negates their power."

Kyp rubbed his brow. He wouldn't really have one of those forsaken animals, would he?

"Does the word _Ysalamiri_ ring a bell?"

Kriff.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He shrugged nonchalantly. "I just met her yesterday. All good fun, you know?"

"I somehow doubt that."

"Your problem. Not mine." He leaned back against the wall, bracing his booted foot against the cool material.

"Well, then I doubt you won't mind watching when our _Push_ addict wakes up and kills the pretty lady. Because that's what I told him to do. And he will and do you know why?"

"So he can crawl up your butt some more?"

A light chuckle. "He wants his drug. He kills her and that's what he will receive. I trust you will enjoy the show."

There was a slight click and Kyp was left in silence. Anger growing to a fueling boiling point, he watched as Jaina poked the sleeping man to wake him.

If only she knew that waking him was one big mistake.


	3. Chapter 3

"Look alive, will you!" Jaina hissed between her teeth as she shoved the kid again. He couldn't have been older than seventeen, she thought. He looked so very young as he lay there, curled up into a little ball. But his skin was pale, a sheen of sweat on his forehead making him look sick.

And plus, the kid was handcuffed to her wrist and that didn't bode well with her at all. The fact that she couldn't sense or use the Force around him was, of course, a nuisance as well.

She snorted at the thought. Nuisance was an understatement of galactic proportions.

"Wake up! We need to get out of here." She tugged at the cuffs, rattling the chain between them. Since she'd woken up with one hell of a headache, she'd tried reaching out to the Force, receiving only nothingness. She felt empty, alone all of a sudden. She couldn't sense the boy cuffed to her hand, couldn't sense anyone in the near vicinity.

The boy stirred, grunted as he slowly regained consciousness. Jaina sat as far back as she could, feeling wary of his presence. The mere fact that they were cuffed together made her feel very, very uneasy. Even though she mostly only relied on the Force, still her warning bells went off without it. Something was wrong. Something was going to happen.

The question being what?

"You alright?" Jaina asked, eyeing the boy curiously. He sat up, eyes wide with fear as he looked around the place, seeing only the small room they were locked in. One small light mounted on the ceiling shone into his face and she could see red marks all around his throat and neck. His short blond hair was dirty and he smelled as if he hadn't showered in weeks. "Do you know where we are?"

When he looked at her, he growled. Jaina arched a brow and cleared her throat. He really did growl – like an animal. "You don't look too well."

He bared his teeth at her and before she knew it, he sprinted forward and gripped her throat with both his hands.

Kyp laughed as he watched Jaina handle her predicament quite well on her own. The boy, who kept rattling at their cuffed hands as if to pull her forward, snarled at her as he gripped her throat. This was Jaina, though. Jaina who didn't care what people thought of her, Jaina who had once slapped him in front of his entire squadron, Jaina who had gotten drunk with him on a few occasions during the war. This was _most_ definitely a woman who could take care of herself.

Kyp watched as she pulled her knee up and connected with the boys' groin. Kyp heard him suck in his breath sharply and he was about to slide off her slim body, when Jaina head butted the kid and then balled her hand into a fist, crashing it against his skull.

Jaina glowered at the boy, as he lay unconscious at her side, whispering words Kyp couldn't understand. By the look on her face, he supposed she was cursing him. It wouldn't have surprised him in the least.

But his laughter suddenly subsided when he felt a piercing pain at the base of his skull. He doubled over, grasping his neck with both his hands, eyes wide as the pain seemed to slice through his head. Breathing was difficult, his heartbeat accelerated and not even the Force could help him. For a moment, it seemed he was cut off from the very power that sustained him.

And then the voice returned with a menacing undertone coupled with amusement. "Are you not feeling well, Jedi?"

Even if he'd wanted to, Kyp couldn't have responded. Pain wasn't new to him; throughout his life, he'd suffered enough physical hurt to know how to deal with it but this was different. He felt paralyzed – all he could do was hope for it to be over soon because he couldn't move. Not his fingers, not his toes, not his arms or legs – he just couldn't.

He completely lost control of his body and he fell to his knees – all he could do was lock his jaw and wait because he would never give them – whoever _they_ were – the satisfaction of hearing him cry out.

Never.

"Welcome to my little experiment. I do consider myself lucky that two of you walked into this club without so much as a little back-up." The voice sighed melodramatically. "Now, where _are_ those witty remarks? Have you lost the will to speak?"

The only thought going through Kyp's mind was finding the bastard and ending this once and for all.

"The gas you and your friend inhaled?" A dark, sinister laugh. "It was _Push_ in its purest form. I'm certain you tasted the sweetness. I've always been interested on its affect on a Force user. And now I have two of you to test my theories! Perfect, don't you think?" He laughed again. "But don't worry. You'll feel as good as new in an hour or two. Until then – have fun while your body tries to fight what has been given to you."

Kyp ground his teeth, fisting his hands while the pain turned into fire, searing him from within. And people did this voluntarily? It was hard to believe because pleasure was most definitely something else entirely.

He could hardly think clearly – everything he had he concentrated on trying to move, trying to understand. So the wanna-be creepy bad guy was using him and Jaina as test subjects?

Jaina…

He ripped his eyes open, tilting his head upward to try and glimpse the holopicture. But Jaina seemed fine. She sat upright, leaning against the wall, dangling with the chain of the handcuffs. They'd both inhaled the gas…

Kyp arched his back while the fire spread to his limbs, momentarily forgetting that one of Jaina's guests was an Ysalamiri. Maybe, just maybe, that little fact was why she was spared the pain of having her body ripped to shreds from the inside.

How much time passed until he could breathe normally, Kyp didn't know. The fire left a tingling in his body, a twitch here-and-there and his head felt like it had been manhandled by hammer. He pressed his palms to his eyes, groaning as he sat up – and narrowed his eyes at the open door to the small cell.

"You're kidding, right?" He asked into the near darkness. "I'm going to kick your ass for this."

He hunched over the monitors, smiling. The room itself was dark, the only light from the screens, illuminating his face – a mask of glee and joy as he watched his pet experiments in their little cages. Lab rats – both of them.

He enjoyed the male Jedi the most. No matter what he would say, he would get a comment in return. Still, he had yet to know who these Jedi were. When the Jedi had called on Enforcement, they never mentioned any names, only that someone would help with the investigation.

Honestly – he didn't much care. Whoever they were, they wouldn't be alive much longer.

He sighed and sat back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head. He would enjoy the show.

He watched as the female knocked the boy out cold, amazed at her strength without her precious Force to help and guide her. Perhaps he'd underestimated her. She seemed so small and fragile, a woman he could break in two.

The male Jedi was different all together. He had an aura of malignant danger, carefully controlled anger. Of course, letting him roam free was a danger in itself but he was certain his men could take care of him if he got too close. A few blaster shots and he'd be as dead as anyone else. It would actually be quite humorous sending bits and pieces of him back to the Jedi Order, a warning not to interfere with business that did not concern them. A finger here, a hand there, definitely strands of hair…

"You're feeling quite sure of yourself, aren't you?"

He snapped to attention, raising to his feet and swallowing a lump in his throat as he heard the dark, sinister voice echoing through the room.

"You're back."

The overhead lights came on with a simple flick of the wrist and he gulped at the sight of the man who he feared most above all creatures in the universe.

"Yes. Do you have a problem with that?"

He shook his head. "No. Of course not." A weak smile played around his features as the dark haired human stepped closer. His eyes, an almost glowing light blue, twinkled as he smiled, showing a perfect row of white teeth. It was said that no woman could resist him; tall, broad, an edge of badness that he leaked through the very pores of his skin.

He stood before the desk, hands hidden inside the pockets of his black pants. A small smile, more like a smirk almost, dropped the room temperature at least ten degrees. "I see you've made yourself comfortable in my office."

He cleared his throat and stepped away, gesturing for Vishous to take a seat. "I'm sorry. I've been monitoring the club."

Vishous shrugged off his long coat and threw it on the nearest chair before he sat down in his usual spot. He sat back with a sigh, "I've heard rumors, Jorel." He tsked and shook his head. "I'm gone for only two days and already I hear rumors. Do you know what I think about rumors?"

Jorel swallowed and shook his head. "No, Sir."

"I hate them. Rumors make me seem…artificial."

"Sir?"

Vishous swirled the chair around and stared at his underling. Pathetic as he was, he was the one person he could count on when it came to business with Enforcement. Jorel was keeping them away from the club, away from his flourishing business.

"People don't take you seriously when rumors pop up all over the place." He played with a lock of his long, black hair and heaved a sigh. "Do you know what sorts of rumors I have come to hear?"

"No, Sir." Jorel said quietly, clasping his hands behind his back – just like the little, obedient soldier that he was.

"It seems that you've acquired prisoners?"

Jorel cleared his throat. "Not necessarily prisoners, Sir. Test subjects."

"You've submitted them to the drug?"

"Yes, Sir. The pure drug."

Vishous' blue eyes widened just a fraction. "They survived?"

Jorel nodded. "Yes. I have the guards standing ready."

"You've let them out?" Vishous asked, feigning disbelief. He loved seeing fear in Jorel's eyes.

"Only one of them. I thought it would be wise to test his abilities. He will, no doubt, try and save his friend before he comes looking for me."

Vishous straightened in the chair and took a quick look at the monitors. One cell was already empty, the other cell held a very boring looking young woman who seemed eerily familiar. He chuckled. "Did she knock him out?" He asked, inclining his head to the boy lying beside her.

"Yes, Sir."

"My kind of woman." He said with a slight laugh.

Vishous leaned forward and tapped a key on the keyboard. The monitor showing the empty cell changed into a quartered picture of the complex. Each small picture showed a part of the corridor system. A few guards stood around the area, holding on to their blasters as if their lives depended on it. Who knew what a full pure dosage of _Push_ could do to an individual? Vishous presumed he'd have a few more deaths on his hands by the end of the night.

And he didn't care.

He shifted his attention to one of the corridors in the lowest region of the complex and zoomed in one a man with the stance of a fighter – he walked as if he owned the place, smiling, as he made sure there weren't any surprises waiting for him.

Vishous leaned forward and narrowed his eyes. He'd seen that face before – he was sure of it.

"Where'd you find them?"

"They're working for Enforcement. Helping them with the case." Jorel cleared his throat, Vishous just knew there was more, and he wouldn't like it.

"And?"

"After inducing them to the drug –"Again he cleared his throat. How annoying. "– we found out that they were Jedi."

Vishous actually stopped breathing. Jorel took a step back, forcing himself to keep it together. He hadn't expected the boss to return so early and he'd have taken care of the Jedi in time but now – well, now he was afraid Vishous would snap his neck.

And there was no doubt in his mind that he could. He'd seen it with his own eyes. And he hadn't even moved a finger – just thought it and after a sickening snap, the man had died.

Vishous turned around slowly, getting to his feet. A predator hunting for its prey, graceful and utterly dangerous. He hadn't received his name for nothing.

"Jedi?" He whispered coldly. "Have you lost your mind?"

Jorel began to sweat, his hands shook as Vishous approached him. The man was tall – huge! Jorel wasn't short for a human but he had to look up to meet his gaze. "I didn't know. I –"

"You should have known." Vishous said in a low voice. "Have you any idea what you've done?"

Jorel didn't answer. He averted his gaze, staring into nothingness.

"They will unleash terror. Do you understand that?"

"Sir, they are not all powerful. They're simple Jedi. We've had Jedi use _Push_ before."

"Adepts, you idiot! If they're working with Enforcement, they're trained Jedi Knight, if not Masters." His eyes almost glowed and the anger he felt was palpable. "The drug enhances mental abilities. What do you think it will do with a fully trained Jedi?"

"That's what I was trying to find out."

The sudden slap echoed through the room. Jorel stumbled backward but he dared not touch his stinging face.

"You have a death wish, Jorel." Vishous whispered. "Did you even think to check who they are?"

"It doesn't matter. They'll be dead."

"I cannot believe I put up with your idiocy." He turned back to the screens and zoomed in on the male Jedi. Fuming within, he punched a few keys and scanned the man's face, sending the image through his database. "You'd best hope he is no one."

"I don't understand –"

"Because you're a moronic imbecile, yes, I've gathered as much."

After a slight beep from the computer, Vishous tapped another few keys and brought up a hologram of a Jedi Knight – no, Master – in full Jedi attire. He looked different with dark long hair and a grin on his face but it was definitely the same man.

Vishous went cold inside when he read the name. "This isn't good." He hissed between his teeth, leaning back into the chair with such force, that it squeaked beneath him.

"What's not good?"

"Shut up!"

He tapped at his chin with his fingers, thinking as fast as he could. "Detain him. Make sure he does _not_ leave this complex." He snarled at Jorel. "He is one of the strongest Jedi Masters of the Council. Thanks to you, his abilities have grown."

"But only for a few hours."

"It doesn't matter! Do as you are told."

"Yes, Sir." Jorel turned on his heel but stopped as Vishous cleared his throat.

"And bring the woman to me!" He paused before he continued. "If you fail me, Jorel, you will die. Is that clear?"

"Crystal."

"You may go. Do _not_ disappoint me."

Vishous knew Jorel didn't have a chance. He would die, be it by his hand or by the Jedi's. He deserved it, either way. Vishous hoped the stupidity wasn't contagious – subjecting a trained Jedi to _Push_! He wasn't even worried about the abilities; a Jedi was used to wielding the Force and a little shove to their powers wasn't anything they couldn't handle.

It was the resulting cockiness, the aggressiveness, the callousness towards everything and anything – _that_ made him uneasy.

With a normal being, he wouldn't have cared less. But with this Jedi… for the first time in years, Vishous was _very_ worried.


	4. Chapter 4

"Mind telling me again why we're here skulking about?" Toryn wiped one sweaty hand on his knee, while gripping his blaster rifle in the other. He wrinkled his nose at the dank smell of the corridors. The place had been empty for years; it seemed the walls were like a magnet for dust and grime. Toryn swore he even saw mildew growing in a few cracks along the way.

Wren rolled his eyes and leaned back against the nearest wall, peering around a corner and staring down the dark corridor. "Cuz the boss said to."

"But why won't he take care of this himself? I mean, isn't he supposed to be omnipotent or whatever?" Toryn didn't catch the glare Wren shot in his direction and maybe it was better that way. Toryn wasn't a very bright human male and he got scared very easily. Wren supposed, if he pointed his blaster in Toryn's direction, the other man would no doubt wet his pants.

"It's not our business. He said to wait here and shoot anything that moves. End of discussion."

Toryn shrugged and wiped his nose on the sleeve of his shirt. Why the man was even on their team, Wren couldn't begin to fathom.

"Boys, how's about you two shut up and just concentrate on the situation? Rumor has it the boss is holdin' a Jedi down that way."

Wren smiled crookedly. Beautiful Daisy D – tall, even for a human female, with a body any man would want to claim as his own. She wasn't stupid either and she had one hell of a left hook – he had experience in that section. The best part was watching her work her weapons. Wren smiled slightly. When this was over, he'd have to ask her to have a couple of drinks with him before retiring to his private quarters in the club. He knew she wouldn't regret it – and neither would he.

"What do you mean, a Jedi?" Toryn asked, his voice breaking.

Daisy grinned. "You know, those freaky people who can do things just by using their mind and shavit?" She shrugged. "I heard we had two Jedi in the club tonight, lookin' for the boss himself. He caught 'em and he wants this one dead."

Toryn swallowed audibly, his face a mask of pure terror at the thought of having a Jedi walk towards them. "But they can use this magic stuff, can't they? I mean, they're powerful!"

Wren threw his head back and laughed. "Ain't no power in the universe that could hold off a few rounds of blaster bolts. We'll just have to make sure we punch holes through him good and hard, got it?"

"But what if –"

"Shut it, Toryn!" Daisy snapped, leaving her hand on the butt of her blaster still attached to her hip. "We ain't got time for your whinin'. We get the job done and go home. Understood?"

Toryn nodded once, knowing it wouldn't be wise to backtalk Daisy D.

"Good. Now be a good boy and don't talk no more."

Whatever Toryn needed to say, it wouldn't have done him any good. Daisy and Wren wouldn't listen to him so he swallowed any questions he had and gripped under his shirt, grasping the small silver pendant his sister had given him. Maybe as a gesture for hope, maybe as a gesture for protection – because he had a very, very bad feeling about all of this.

Leaning against the cold wall, Jaina laid her head atop her knees and closed her eyes. Never before in her life had she felt this alone before. The fact that she couldn't tap into the Force – she couldn't put into words how disconcerting it was. Knowing that, whoever held her caged up like this, had the means to strip her of her power this way made her shiver from head to toe. There was a sudden deep respect for these people welling up inside of her and this time – and she was certain about this – she wouldn't get off the hook so easily.

She glanced at the boy, who was pale as snow as he lay by her feet and slept. Jaina felt sorry for him, felt sorry that he wasted his life with drugs. So many options lay in wait for him, so many opportunities to do something decent…

Yet he wasted away, oblivious to the fact that there would be help for him if he sought it. For a moment, Jaina let herself imagine changing the boy's mind, making him see reason and taking him back with her. Maybe there was still a chance for him but the rational part of her dismissed the thought almost instantly. It was obvious he was too far gone to listen to reason. She'd have to knock him out and carry him back, strap him to a table and wait out his withdrawal. Jaina kept that little plan in mind.

The door to her cell opened silently, bathing the interior in a bright white light. Jaina raised her brows but other than that, she didn't move a muscle. She watched as two armed men entered, wearing black fatigues and both of them held on to their blaster rifles as if their lives depended on it. Jaina arched a dark brow and smiled. "Are those for me?" She asked sweetly, batting her eyes. "Why, boys, I'm flattered."

A deep laugh made her look back to the entrance. She could only recognize a tall silhouette of a well built man – he stood with his hands in the pockets of his pants and she imagined he was grinning at her. "Hello there, beautiful." He said, drawing out the words just a little too long. "I hope you've enjoyed your stay so far."

Jaina scoffed. "Of course! Five star prison cell – the best I've ever been in."

"It's about to get better, sweetheart."

Jaina didn't like the menacing tone of his voice. Gleeful, joyful undercurrents letting her know that the worst was yet to come. The man gestured to the black fatigues and both of them grabbed her arms, pulling the boy along with them. Instead of hoisting him to his feet, they simply dragged him.

Appalled, Jaina tried to shrug her arm free but the man holding her tightened his grip until she could barely feel her skin. Her wrist felt like it was being torn into two pieces – as skinny as the boy seemed, dragging him only by her wrist, it felt like he weighed a ton!

"Make sure you carry the cage along as well." She heard the dark voice say. He stepped aside as the fatigues dragged her out into the hall, ignoring her little grunts of discomfort. She supposed they wouldn't have cared if she's split her skull in two.

"Already taken care of."

"Keep it as close to her as possible. Maximum of one hundred meters."

"Yes, Sir."

Outside in the hall, Jaina squinted in the harsh light, tears collecting in her eyes. The man who seemed to be in charge was tall and broad shouldered with short dark hair and a grin on his face. A scar ran down his eye towards the edge of his mouth – he seemed sinister, almost crazy the way he looked at her. As if she was something edible.

"Behave yourself and you'll live." He said in a low voice.

Jaina rolled her eyes, wincing while the fatigues held on to her tightly. "I've lost count how many times I've heard _that_ before."

"Seemed you listened since you're still alive." He stepped aside and nodded down the corridor. The fatigues hurried their steps, pulling at Jaina's arms while she tried to keep up.

"Could you please get him off me?" She yelled, dangling her wrist back and forth. She risked a short glance over her shoulder – the boy lay on his back and still he seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

"Ignore him."

Jaina scowled at the person in charge. She was ignored henceforth. The one attempt she made to fight herself free was met with brutal force by both the fatigues and the man with the dark voice. Her skin stung where their blows had met and her stomach was up in knots from a very well placed kick to her abdomen.

"Where's your Force now, Jedi?"

Jaina collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath. The man tugged her head back by grabbing a portion of her hair and smiled down at her, showing a perfect row of white teeth. Had he not been such a cold-hearted Kriffer, Jaina might have thought him handsome.

"You think you're friend'll be here to rescue you?" He smirked at her, smacking his lips. "Too bad he's already dead."

He let her go, pushing her head forward forcefully. The fatigues got her back to her feet, while her ears and head rung as if she'd been at a live concert for hours on end. She didn't fight back this time – she didn't see sense in doing so.

Had they really gotten to Kyp? She didn't want to believe it. Kyp Durron was too stubborn to die in such a manner.

Still a small voice in the back of her mind kept asking _What if?._

Daisy sighed while raking a hand through her hair. Wren watched her, admired her feminine curves in the tight, leather suit she wore. She hid nothing in her attire and the front was zipped open just enough for him to peek at what he wanted to see.

Grinning like a lunatic, he turned back towards the corridor, hoping that the action would soon begin. Waiting around doing nothing wasn't his idea of fun. He wanted to pull the trigger of his blaster and he wanted to smell singed flesh in the air. He'd made his first kill when he was ten years old and to this day he remembered it fondly. It had never made much of a difference to him – either you lived or you didn't and this Jedi was going to know what it felt like to die.

Wren would saver every second of it.

"I heard something." Toryn whispered, narrowing his eyes and nodding down the hall. "Like a scraping sound."

Daisy crouched down between Toryn and Wren, grasping her blaster in both hands. "So did I."

Wren narrowed his eyes and strained to listen. Besides his breathing and Toryn's annoying shuffling, he heard nothing.

"There it was again!" Toryn gasped, pointing his blaster forward down the corridor. "Someone's coming."

Wren frowned at both Toryn and Daisy. "I don't hear anything."

"Shh!"

Then he heard it too – a scraping sound, as if someone were using fingernails to run along the walls. A shiver ran down his spine at the thought.

Wren stiffened suddenly as he heard a laugh. Toryn seemed to have stopped breathing while Daisy simply smiled, looking forward to a good fight.

"You guys came out to play?" A deep voice asked from the semi-darkness. Wren had to squint to see anything at all and what he did see, made him raise a brow. The Jedi seemed so weak the way he stood there, arms hanging at his sides. No weapons – not even a lightsaber his kind was so renowned for! Well, wouldn't this be boring! A total waste of time…

"You don't have to die, you know." Wren called. "You can come with us quietly."

There was a slight pause before the Jedi answered. "Not gonna happen."

Before Wren knew what hit him, his back connected with the wall behind him. A deafening crack echoed in his ears and, before he slid to the floor, he knew something important had broken in his body. He couldn't feel his legs anymore – only coldness crawling up his skin and settling right beneath his heart. Wren's vision blurred and the more he blinked, the less he could see. The darkness turned into a murky blackness and that's when he realized he had trouble breathing.

From the corner of his eye he saw Daisy fly through the air as if she were a ragdoll. Her arms and legs flailed uncontrollably and her screams made him cringe. With a sudden lurch, Daisy fell to the ground and lay completely still. Wren could see from the unnatural angle of her head that she was dead. What a waste – such a beautiful woman.

"Please…" Toryn stammered, letting his blaster fall out of his grip. "We were only following orders."

Wren closed his eyes and cursed Toryn's cowardice. Of all the things…begging…

He felt lightheaded suddenly and the moment he felt his heart stutter, he knew his time was drawing near. He closed his eyes one last time, his final thoughts going out to no one in particular. Wren died, knowing that no one would miss him.

Kyp wrinkled his nose at the mess he'd made. It hadn't been his intention to kill anyone – he'd only wanted to move them out of the way. He looked down at his hands, knowing that with his normal Force ability, this would never have happened. Inwardly shaking at the scene that met his eyes, he swallowed back bile rising in his throat and concentrated on the man stammering and begging.

"I won't kill you." Kyp said slowly, barely recognizing his own raspy voice.

What had he done?

"I want you to lead me to your boss."

The man nodded vigorously, praising Kyp for his goodness – he snorted at the words – and led the way through the maze of corridors.


End file.
